The EU commissioner responsible for tax and customs-related issues is set to table a proposal to raise the minimum level of diesel tax imposed by member states, in a bid to cut down on 'tank tourism.' However, given the lukewarm reception that the proposal has received so far, and the fact that unanimity is required, the proposal is unlikely to be adopted.

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The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, which runs from December 3 to 14 this year, looks set to send a clear and unambiguous message to the developed world: reduce your carbon footprint now before it is too late.

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Germany's dependence on fossil fuels - namely gas and coal-fired generation - will continue beyond 2030 according to Datamonitor's 2030 power forecast, driven by the assumed exit from nuclear generation by the end of 2022 when some 4GW of nuclear capacity comes offline.

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According to a recent Datamonitor survey, consumers worldwide are becoming increasingly interested in energy efficient cars. However, congestion remains a concern, and in an attempt to tackle this issue, a revolutionary new type of bus is set to be pilot tested in Beijing, which will address the problem by simply driving above passenger cars, without the need for a separate track.

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Despite repeated claims from the government that there will be no subsidy for nuclear power in the UK, stakeholder demands for other forms of assistance are growing increasingly common. The possibility of an exemption for nuclear power under the Climate Change Levy framework has been proposed, yet such proposals are unworkable, as they would necessitate huge structural changes to the levy scheme.

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March 11 marked the first anniversary of Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster. This has caused a particularly marked policy response in Germany, where the decision has been made to abandon nuclear energy by 2022 at an estimated cost of E1.7tn by 2030. The decision appears to be motivated by political considerations rather than factual assessment.

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The UK EMR's tripartite goal of achieving energy security, carbon reduction, and cost minimization is untenable. The government's pretense that it is maintaining a competitive market environment while actually pursuing a highly interventionist policy means that there will be a crisis in UK energy policy - unless the government convinces the public that carbon reduction is worth the cost.

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French energy giant EDF has revealed a bigger than expected 40% drop in annual profits, prompting a fall in the company's share price. However, despite the disappointing annual results, EDF's outlook is strong. Indeed, potential plans to sell some French assets in order to boost liquidity would not only ease the company's debt pile but would also appease the European Commission.